China, ASEAN look to strengthen judicial exchanges

Judges from China and ASEAN members reached an agreement recently to
strengthen continuous judicial communication and cooperation in order to
guarantee social security and economic prosperity in the region.

With the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, exchanges between
China and ASEAN have expanded in multiple areas. However, business disputes and
cross-border crimes, such as drug trafficking and smuggling, continue to
increase, Zhou Qiang, president of China's Supreme People's Court, said at the
opening ceremony of the China-ASEAN Justice Forum.

More than 100 judicial officers attended the forum, held in Nanning, Guangxi
Zhuang autonomous region, including presidents and chief judges from Southeast
Asian countries such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. South Asian nations
such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan were also invited.

Kanagasabapathy Sripavan, Sri Lanka's chief justice, said: "It's my first
time to attend the forum. We were specially invited this year because Sri Lanka
is an important partner along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The forum
offers us a good chance to learn about China's judicial achievements in recent
years."

Veerapol Tungsuwan, president of Thailand's Supreme Court, said: "The
judicial exchange between China and Thailand has enjoyed 26 years of history
since 1991. I am glad to see more and more countries involved in the forum and
sharing their judicial reform experiences, which will no doubt deepen mutual
understanding and accelerate regional prosperity. "

The forum was previously held in 2014, focusing on judicial reform, the
training of judges and dispute resolution.